NEWS: TM kicks off pilot eSchool project

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Primary school students from three schools are set to reap the benefits of online learning using multimedia technologies courtesy of local telecommunications giant Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM).

TM has set up Internet portals with administrative and teaching applications in SMK USJ 12, Subang Jaya; SMK Methodist Boys School, Kuala Lumpur; and SMK Seksyen 11, Shah Alam.

The exercise comes under TM's eSchool pilot project, which incorporates the Web School Management System (WSMS), an integrated school management and administration system.

Pilot PROJECT: Students of SMK USJ 12 trying out TM Net's Education Portal. SMK USJ 12 is one of the participating schools in TM's new eSchool initiative.

It also includes the Learning Content Management System (LCMS), which enables online learning using network and multimedia technologies to create, store and deliver educational content.

TM is also working to increase broadband speed at the schools, to install a wireless broadband system, and to provide more online educational content.

TM chief executive officer (Malaysia business) Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said the initiative is part of TM's objective to bring its ICT (information and communications technology) expertise to the education sector. "Besides improving the administration of schools, eSchool applications can help enhance the classroom learning experience through the use of computer networks and multimedia technologies to develop exciting and creative methods of teaching and learning," he said.

Education Ministry directorgeneral Datuk Dr Hj Ahamad said: "Projects such as eSchool, which have already been successfully implemented in countries such as South Korea, have the potential to improve the effectiveness of our nation's education system."

Maizan Mohd Nor, principal of SMK USJ 12, said eSchool would enable teachers to manage administrative tasks more effectively so that they will have more time to concentrate on improving their teaching content and methods.

"I foresee that the eSchool applications will improve communication and strengthen ties between teachers and parents in managing the students' progress and participation in extra-curricular activities," she said.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said it is very good to see a corporate entity providing ICT for the benefit of the children and hoped that other companies would follow in TM's footsteps.

However, she said, that while ICT is becoming a significant part of the education system, there is still a lack of full-time teachers to teach computer science and skills in most schools. "The Government should have a dedicated ICT teacher in every school.

In many instances, schools do not have the manpower for a dedicated ICT teacher, and that's why you get situations where there are computer labs without teachers," she said.